Ryze
Ryze is a social networking site which has a duality of purposes, though I'm not sure the
creator of the site, Adrian Scott, had intended for it to have.
First and foremost, it's a business networking site. Every person who signs up has the opportunity to list their businesses and
their websites, and to talk about themselves. If you know something about HTML,
you can do elaborate things with your guest book page; that's the terminology you use. You also have the opportunity to put a
picture up, which is recommended because they've proven by study that more people are apt to click on a link if there's a picture
associated with it.
Second, it's a social site, where people from all around the world can get together to talk about anything; this is where I'm not
so sure Scott had intended it to eventually go, but it makes sense.
What Ryze has is a series of what it calls networks, which is reminiscent of the old bulletin board forums from the 90's. Ryze is
free, but anyone who pays for membership has the luxury of determining if they want to create a network of some kind. It can be
either a business or social network. The business networks, for the most part, are specific in nature; there are networks for
certain MLM products, IT, SEO, healthcare, management, consulting, etc. Then there are networks that are more social, such as
local community, politics, romance, relationships, feelings, erotica, and the like. Some networks are public, meaning posts might
end up on search engines, while others are private, meaning members can say whatever they wish to, and their comments will never
be seen by anyone who's not a member of the network.
Ryze has three levels. Of course there's the free level, but then there's the gold level where, for $10 a month, you get to
create one network and directly contact people who are further than 2 degrees beyond your reach, and the platinum level where,
for $20, you can create 3 networks and contact 50 people beyond your reach.
In discussing "degrees beyond your reach", one has to know that Ryze intends for people to validate each other as "friends" or
"contacts", and thus open themselves up to meeting more people who are within Ryze, and the numbers are high. If you're trying
to contact someone whose yet to be validated by anyone you're already connected with, that counts against your total number of
people. As a Ryze member, you can decide whether you want to be communicated with at all, or whether you want to limit yourself
only to other paid members.
Ryze is whatever one intends to get out of it. Most people join thinking they're going to find a world of buyers for their
products and services; if that's the case, they'll certainly be disappointed quickly. Ryze works on the principle that people
are there to get to know each other, like a regular business networking event or a party, and if they like you well enough then
you have the possibility of making true business connections or sales later on. I joined Ryze with the intention of learning
what others might have to teach me about business of all types, and I've learned more than I would have in any classroom, because,
overall, the majority of these people have done or tried every and anything. Many are willing to help at no charge; this is a
very giving community, I have to say.
Ryze is easily a recommended place for anyone who has a job, or is looking for a job, or just wants to have the opportunity
to talk to people from all over the world. You don't have to be the president of a business, or even successful. All you have to
do is want to participate with others who are striving to be more. Join, participate, learn, and enjoy.
